President Prepares Presidential Decrees for Elephant Conservation
President Prabowo Subianto is preparing a presidential instruction (Inpres) regarding the conservation of Sumatran and Bornean elephant populations and habitats, as well as a presidential decision (Keppres) on the establishment of a task force for innovative financing of national park management.
The Presidential Secretariat announced in Jakarta on Thursday that the President has summoned Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni to Merdeka Palace on Friday, 13 March 2026, to discuss strategic measures for strengthening wildlife conservation and national park management across Indonesia.
“Without serious government intervention, the destruction of elephant habitats is inevitable,” Raja Juli stated following his meeting with President Prabowo.
According to Raja Juli, the Inpres represents an important step to save elephant populations currently facing serious threats due to shrinking natural habitats. He emphasised that without serious government intervention, elephant habitat damage could spread further and threaten the species’ survival. “Therefore, the elephant population, which is a protected species and an iconic symbol of Indonesia, risks extinction,” he said.
Through the Inpres, President Prabowo will direct several relevant ministries to support the Ministry of Forestry in elephant conservation efforts, including establishing habitat corridors that enable elephant movement between regions. The government will also build corridors within elephant sanctuary areas to expand their range whilst preventing inbreeding that could threaten population sustainability.
“For example, in concession areas already issued, palm oil plantations in Sumatra will have what we call preservation areas created within them. These preservation areas are regions that allow elephant corridors between sanctuaries, enabling elephants to move from one sanctuary to another,” Raja Juli explained.
Raja Juli also highlighted President Prabowo’s concrete commitment to elephant habitat preservation, including donating 90,000 hectares of his personal land for conservation purposes.
In addition to elephant conservation policy, President Prabowo is also preparing a Keppres to establish a Task Force for Innovative National Park Financing and Management. This task force aims to promote more sustainable funding models for national park management in Indonesia. “We will seek innovative and sustainable financing, including involving the private sector, so that our national parks become world-class parks, our forests are maintained and preserved, whilst the wildlife that is our pride and the nation’s wealth is also properly protected,” Raja Juli said.
As an initial step, the government will prepare pilot projects for national park management, including one at Way Kambas National Park in Lampung.
Raja Juli also revealed that President Prabowo has allocated funding to address human-elephant conflict that frequently occurs in the region. “He has decided to prepare presidential assistance funds to construct fencing or canals that will separate Way Kambas National Park from the villages along the park in Lampung,” he said.
Raja Juli affirmed that these measures demonstrate President Prabowo’s strong commitment to preserving Indonesia’s natural environment and wildlife. “This shows again that President Prabowo Subianto, as conservation activists have stated, is the President in Indonesian history most concerned with elephant conservation in Indonesia,” he concluded.